BOSTON– The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development today reported that the October 2012 seasonally unadjusted unemployment rates were down in seventeen areas; unchanged in two areas; and up in three areas over the month. Over the year, the rates are down in all twenty two labor areas.
Statewide, the October seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate was 6.2 percent, down 0.2 of a percentage point. Over the year, the statewide unadjusted rate was down 0.5 of a percentage point from the October 2011 unadjusted rate of 6.7 percent.
In October 2012, over the month job gains occurred in eight of the twelve areas for which estimates are published. The largest job gains occurred in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Worcester, and Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton areas. Jobs remained unchanged in the Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner and Springfield areas. Losses occurred in the Barnstable and Pittsfield areas.
Over the year, nine of the twelve areas added jobs with the largest percentage gains in the New Bedford, Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Peabody, and Leominster-Fitchburg-Gardner areas.
The seasonally adjusted statewide October unemployment rate, released on November 15th, was 6.6 percent, an increase of 0.1 of a percentage point over the September 6.5 percent, and down 0.5 of a percentage point from the 7.1 percent rate recorded in October 2011. The statewide seasonally adjusted jobs estimate showed a 7,900 job gain over the month.
The labor force, unemployment rates and jobs estimates, for Massachusetts and for every other state, are based on statistical methodologies specified by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates.
